A beloved grocery store now makes an unexpected closure in Pennsylvania after serving its community for more than 70 years.
Part of the Independent Grocers Alliance, or IGA, the supermarket announced a closure in a heartfelt Facebook post.
Founded in 1916, Ferri’s IGA Supermarket is a family-run chain of grocery stores.
The store in Murrysville, Pennsylvania – roughly 20 miles from Pittsburgh – shut down last month, per local ABC affiliate WTAE-TV.
“It’s brought tears to my eyes more than once, more than a few times. It’s tough because I grew up here. I grew up in the store,” said store owner Dan Ferri.
His family purchased the space in 1954 when his brothers returned from the Korean War.
“My oldest brother had always wanted his own store, so they found this little location in Murrysville, it was a general store, really not much,” said Ferri.
“There was two old gas pumps out front that hadn’t worked for years.
The place was really a rickety mess, but my brother had wanted it and my dad offered his life savings so he could buy it.”
After operating for seven decades, the Murrysville store shut its doors on May 31.
There are 717 Ferri’s IGA Supermarkets across the US, according to ScrapeHero.
In a letter to customers posted on Facebook, the Ferri family shared a heartfelt post about the closure and the contributing factors.
“It is with a heavy heart that we must announce the closure of Ferri’s Supermarket at the end of May 2024,” began the letter.
“After much consideration, we have reached a point where we can no longer sustain operations.”
It noted that it has become increasingly difficult to operate in the retail industry, especially for supermarkets.
The owners cited small profit margins and tough competition, saying, “The economic landscape has shifted in ways that have made it difficult for small, independent supermarkets like ours to thrive.”
The family’s letter also shared that the early departure of Mainline Pharmacy made “a significant blow to our business,” resulting in a major sales decline after the grocer failed to find a replacement.
“To our loyal customers, we extend our sincerest appreciation for your support and patronage over the years,” said the family.
“Your trust and loyalty have meant the world to us, and we will cherish the memories of serving you each week at Ferri’s Supermarket.”
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Also Read: An Unexpected Retailer Is Now Closing All Stores in Illinois
Other Economy News Today
An unexpected restaurant now abruptly closes 7 locations in one state after revealing plans to shutter a total of 36.
TGI Fridays is closing a total of seven restaurants in one state as part of the company’s ongoing growth strategy.
This comes after the chain abruptly closed 36 locations across 12 states in at the beginning of the year, per The-Sun.
The restaurant chain will pull the plug on seven locations across the state of New Jersey in the coming weeks.
Today, Fridays will welcome in famished diners at its location in Brick for the final time.
“As we continue along our path of transformation to revitalize the Fridays brand and implement a long-term growth strategy, we see a bright future for TGI Fridays,” said Weldon Spangler, CEO of TGI Fridays earlier this week.
“We are at the helm of a pivotal moment that will allow us to explore boundless advancement, expansion, and innovation to keep delivering ‘That Fridays Feeling’ that our fans know and love.”
Before the closures, TGI Fridays had about 270 US locations, according to the company’s website.
“As part of the store closures, TGI Fridays is offering more than 1,000 transfer opportunities, which represents over 80% of total impacted employees,” the company previously said in a statement.
“Our top priority has always been delivering a superior experience for each and every TGI Fridays guest, and we’ve identified opportunities to optimize and streamline our operations to ensure we are best positioned to meet – and exceed – on that brand promise,” said Ray Risley, US president and chief operating officer, in the release.
Eight other locations were sold to former CEO Ray Blanchette, a longtime stakeholder who will acquire the previously corporate-owned restaurants.
The sale comes as major changes have been made to the brand’s leadership, including the news of Weldon Spangler being made CEO.
“As we continue along our path of transformation to revitalize the Fridays brand and implement a long-term growth strategy, we see a bright future for TGI Fridays,” said Spangler in a statement.
Also Read: Retirees Will Now Receive More Money For Social Security
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